“Not” To-Do List

Have you ever set out to achieving a task or two only to find out at the end of the day you never really accomplished much?

Focus! Focus!! Queeneth, I would sometimes say to myself many times before the end of each day and I eventually heave a sigh of relief and ask “wow! so I’m done”?

it’s not so much as the magnitude or difficulty of the work involved but our inability to pay attention to what we have set out to do and mind it until we see it through to the end.

We are wired to pick up things from our environment and go ahead to contribute sometimes to each and every issue unsolicited or otherwise that we often forget what we initially set out to do and get carried away by each moment that at the end of the day we have little or nothing to show for the twenty four hours God has  graciously allowed us to be a part of on this side of the planet He allocated to us.

Some of us go ahead to be “the issue” or the centre of “distraction” for everyone else! Must we always have something to say to one and every topic that filters through or to us? Must we always contribute to, assist with or have an opinion?

I’m not saying we become unfriendly or distant and treat people and their issues and discussions with contempt, but neither should we be the kind of the persons that topics get “changed” because of us or  an uncomfortable “hush” greets us whenever we walk into a place or discuss!

When our to-do lists keep saying something else and we persistently ramble on in another direction it’s probably an indicator or indication that we right ourselves or have a prompt, sincere look at that list! Even if it means running it by reliable people who are not afraid to look us in the eye and go “you’re crazy” when necessary and reality find it impossible to see eye to eye with our precious “lists”!

A particular assignment is staring you in the face but it’s the weekend, you want to make up for the ” movie deprivation” you have suffered all week at the risk of incurring the wrath of your boss who has already threatened  to query you for your lack of delivery on previous deadlines? Really?!!!

Well each time you want to get into a free for all “remote control ownership” deul or argument with your children,  remember that mummy is not always right (or daddy in any case) and quickly remind yourself of the consequences of too much lounging or truancy and the effects of bad example on the children and surrender yourself to duty calls.

Whatever happened to-daddy buys the television and hands the remote control to mummy?

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good movie anytime,any day and anywhere. But must it be at expense of dinner? Your child’s moral setting? Or work? Need I  continue? Except we have sold our souls to the entertainment providers in exchange for the remote control, then by all means,live the life!

We go as far as using the television as occupiers of our children’s attention while we busy ourselves otherwise. (Yep! Been there, done that, moved on). Why not try giving the child a book to read and help ensure that the saying(or is it a joke now), “if you want to keep something from a Nigerian put it in a book” doesn’t ring true for your family!

As for some of us adults that still can’t pick up a book to read let alone finish but prefer watching television, try reading “Winnie the Poo” in print, it can help you get started :-).

I will not quickly forget a conversation between parent and teacher over the child’s seriousness with homework:

Mother: “don’t mind him oh, he would rather watch television all weekend instead of doing his homework! ” ask him for the names of the cartoons and he will give you details even to very names of their toys”.

Teacher: “is that so? Why don’t you do your homework first before watching tv?”

Yours truly: “hello! Isn’t this a swop of roles? Who is to make sure junior here does his Home. Work?”

Of course those were my thoughts, I didn’t actually say them out loud.

This issue affects all of us so we should do well to heed the call to repentance.

We must make effort to identify distractions and detractors in our lives and take decisive efforts to deal with and eliminate them.

Take responsibility for our actions and stop blaming Ngozi the help, the weather or those poor witches in the village for our every failure that we otherwise could have dealt with ourselves by being firm and responsible.

We could try keeping “NOT” to-do lists and see how that works for us instead.

You know;

1. I will not watch tv beyond 12 midnight!

:). ;). :o.

What! Our daughter’s name is your ex-girlfriend’s! ?

 

I remember an elderly woman once told me that she prevented her husband from naming their daughter after a woman he would have married and considering that back then marriage was done with the most noble of intention,I wondered what his reasons were for wanting to do such.

It got me thinking… Imagine this scenari in our time;

Once upon a time there lived a guy who was attracted to a girl. He loved her so much he wanted to marry her but didn’t know how to make his feelings known because he felt she was way out of his league. They eventually become good friends and still he couldn’t tell her how he felt.

Anyway,after sleepless nights and several rehearsals on what to say and how he should say them, he eventually opens up only to be told she recently got engaged and would soon be married.

Broken hearted and  chiding himself for being such a fool he decides to move on. He later finds,falls in love and marries another girl.

When they have their daughter he decides to give her the “old flames” name unknowing to the wife .

Then she finds out…

 

1. How should wifey here deal with this?

2. Is hubby still “flaming” for old flame?

3. Should there be a name change?

Or

4. Should this even be an issue?

I look forward to your comments.

The very best.